Chapter 92 - 92- fears and boggarts (part 1)

Hermione's POV

Focusing back on the lesson Hermione heard the professor saying "So, the first question we must ask ourselves is, what is a boggart?"

Knowing this is the best chance to make a great first impression, Hermione put up her hand.

"It's a shape-shifter," she said as professor Lupin nodded toward her to answer. "It can take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."

"Couldn't have put it better myself," said Professor Lupin, and Hermione was sure her face was glowing. "So the boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side of the door. Nobody knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will immediately become whatever each of us most fears."

Hermione couldn't help but start wondering what is her biggest fear but after a moment she decided to listen to the professor for now and just meet her fear in person.

"This means," said Professor Lupin, choosing to ignore Neville's 'mall sputter of terror, "that we have a huge advantage over the boggart before we begin. Have you spotted it, Marcus?"

Hearing him focusing on Marcus, Hermione couldn't help but sigh, both in despair as in relief, as she remembered Marcus telling them that the professor is his father's best-friend, as it meant that no matter how good a student she would be, Marcus would be the favorite, though it also meant Harry wouldn't be.

"because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape it should be?"

Putting her hand down, Hermione decided to just listen for the rest of the class.

"Precisely, it's always best to have company when you're dealing with a boggart, as he becomes confused. What should he become, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that very mistake -- tried to frighten two people at once and turned himself into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.

The charm that repels a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, the thing that really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force it to assume a shape that you find amusing.

We will practice the charm without wands first. After me, please ... Riddikulus!"

"Riddikulus!" said the class together.

"Good," said Professor Lupin. "Very good. But that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you come in, Neville."

The wardrobe shook again, though not as much as Neville, and Hermione was really worried for her best friend who walked forward as though he were heading for the gallows.

"Right, Neville," said Professor Lupin. "First things first: what would you say is the thing that frightens you most in the world?"

Neville's lips moved, but no noise came out.

"Didn't catch that, Neville, sorry," said Professor Lupin cheerfully.

Neville looked around rather wildly, as though begging someone to help him, then said, in barely more than a whisper, "Professor Snape."

Nearly everyone laughed, and Hermon wanted to hit each of them. Professor Lupin, however, looked thoughtful.

"Professor Snape... hmmm... Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother?"

"Er -- yes," said Neville nervously. "But -- I don't want the boggart to turn into her either."

This time even she smiled

"No, no, you misunderstand me," said Professor Lupin. "I wonder, could you tell us what sort of clothes your grandmother usually wears?"

Neville looked startled, but said, "Well... always the same hat. A tall one with a stuffed vulture on top. And a long dress... green, normally... and sometimes a fox-fur scarf."

"And a handbag?" prompted Professor Lupin.

"A big red one," said Neville.

"Right then," said Professor Lupin. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your mind's eye?"

"Yes," said Neville uncertainty, plainly wondering what was coming next.

"When the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and sees You, it will assume the form of Professor Snape," said Lupin. "And You will raise your wand -- thus -- and cry 'Riddikulus' -- and concentrate hard on your grandmother's clothes. If all goes well, Professor Boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, and that green dress, with that big red handbag."

There was a great shout of laughter. The wardrobe wobbled more violently.

"If Neville is successful, the boggart is likely to shift his attention to each of us in turn," said Professor Lupin. "I would like all of you to take a moment now to think of the thing that scares you most, and imagine how you might force it to look comical...."

Hermione truly tried to think about what was she truly afraid of, but the only thing that popped into her mind was failing in class, and she couldn't imagine anything funny about it.

"Everyone ready?" said Professor Lupin.

Hermione felt a lurch of fear. She wasn't ready. How could she make a bad grade funny? It wasn't like the irrational fears the other students had.

But she didn't want to ask for more time, everyone else was nodding and rolling up their sleeves. She wouldn't admit she couldn't do what other people can.

"Neville, we're going to back away," said Professor Lupin. "Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward.... Everyone back, now, so Neville can get a clear shot --"

They all retreated, backed against the walls, leaving Neville alone beside the wardrobe. He looked pale and frightened, which almost made her trade places with him, but he had pushed up the sleeves of his robes and was holding his wand ready.

"On the count of three, Neville," said Professor Lupin, who was pointing his own wand at the handle of the wardrobe. "One two -- three -- now!"

A jet of sparks shot from the end of Professor Lupin's wand and hit the doorknob. The wardrobe burst open.

Yet instead of Professor Snape, from the wardrobe came a man and a women who looked familiar even though she was sure she had never seen them before.

Harry's POV

A little bit before

While everyone else thought about what is their greatest fears and how to make them funny, Harry didn't.

No, it wasn't because he already knew about the exercise before and thought about it already. If he was being honest, he didn't know what is his greatest fear, so he couldn't think about any countermeasures.

Instead, Harry was thinking about how this is his best chance to see boggarts worked, were they truly digging for your greatest fears, or did they searched for the first thing that came to mind.

"Hey Neville," he said as he went close to the nervous boy who used to be his friend.

"What do you need, Peverel?"

He would have roll his eyes from the hostility if he didn't need the boy to listen to him.

"I just wanted to ask how did you know professor Snape is your greatest fear, as I have several fears and don't know which one is mine."

Neville looked suspicious about him "why ask me?"

"Well," he said, feelings and sounding awkward. "I know you also don't have parents, so I thought you might understand some of my fears, like the fear of them not loving me, or fearing the person who hurt them. Which is why I wanted to know how you decided Professor Snape is your greatest fear."

Harry could see his words had the affect he desired as the boy's face got even whiter then before and he started mumbling about nor willing to explain anything to a Slytherin traitor, something that would make him angry if he didn't feel a little guilty about his actions.

"Never mind." He said and walked back as he watched Lupin getting closer.

As everyone took a few steps back, Daphne came near him "what did you and Longbottom talked about?" She asked

"Let's just say I might have confirmed to the thinking of the other houses about the evilness of Slytherin..."

A jet of sparks shot from the end of the DADA Professor's wand and hit the doorknob and the wardrobe burst open.

When a man with Neville's eyes and forehead, and a women who had Neville's cheekbones came out, Harry knew that he either changed the boy's greatest fears or hours theory about boggarts was true and they did use a magical ability similar to legilimency to find the first fear they could find in the person's mind, no matter which one it is, this lesson is going to be much more interesting...